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MoodyBluesKeys

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Everything posted by MoodyBluesKeys

  1. The original Apple Camera Connector does NOT have a separate charging connector. The later USB3 version does. I use that, with iPad charger, Lightning cable, USB to Lightning cable (to connect to keyboard), and an audio cable with my iPad mini 2 for that purpose, have done so for several years. Works well, keeps it charged, sounds great.
  2. I have Module Pro, and most of the expansion packs, including the one for splits, etc. Has to be setup individually for each combination of patches, but it has worked for me. Only ones I created were some other instrument treble, and bass in the low end.
  3. I trust Apple more than Adobe in the "not screwing up" department. Just purchased the one computer that will run Win 11: HP Z2 Generation 4 workstation, Intel i7, 8th. Gen. 32GB RAM (can hold 64), 240G M.2 NVME SSD, 2TB HD. Winning bid was $406.08, plus $40 shipping (reasonable for the tower), plus NC tax. Running Win 10 Pro already. That one is all I need at the moment (probably until mid 2025) to be able to keep up my knowledge base and properly support my clients. As I think I mentioned previously, I currently am running Win 8.2, Win 10, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Mint Cinnamon 20.1 Linux; and am in the Windows Insider Beta Channel, so my Parallels VM with the Insider OS will run the more stable versions of Win 11 as they are introduced. I've copied the VM file to the second drive on the Mini, so I can go back if the updates break anything. Should be an interesting test going forward, since Apple does not support TPM 2.0 at all (Parallels has done some amazing things in the past, they may be able to fool the Win 11 OS into thinking it has TPM).
  4. I didn't realize just how bad the supply chain is until today. One of my business clients buys HP refurbished business computers. When HP gets a complaint on their business line, up to 30 days, they FedEx a new computer with a return tag. Many of these have no real problem, some user issue. They might have a scratch or two. HP internally fixes any problem, does a complete software reload, and sells them through their Business Out web store. The buyer saves between about 10% and 50% (depending on whether the machine is current generation and how long they have been trying to move it). This has proven to be an excellent way to get my clients a high quality machine that will last and do the job. I make a small amount for the time, it is registered in their name, and I usually make more in setting it up for their internal use. My largest client - one owner wants a new notebook compatible with Windows 11 for the other owner to replace their home notebook. (Both kept the older computer and use it at home, so they don't have to carry one in and out of the office every day). I had gotten her a 17" Zbook, which she absolutely loves. She wants a new 17" Zbook. Only one they make is the Zbook Fury. Store had 2 yesterday at opening (I get an email every day). She tried to order one, was gone. The other was gone also. So, I'm checking to see if another shows up. I thought I'd also check on a brand-new Fury. Got on website where one can configure and order new business computers. Price obviously higher, but that might be OK. If it was ordered TODAY, it would arrive 25 NOVEMBER, 2021. Usually a custom order arrives in several weeks. Gonna be a while before the semiconductor shortage gets better. I'm satisfied with used at a decent price, will be ordering one in next few days (desktop workstation, not notebook - I'm still happy with my considerably older HP Zbook 17 generation 2. Best machine I've ever had (except if I have to carry it a long distance).
  5. I didn't realize just how bad the supply chain is until today. One of my business clients buys HP refurbished business computers. When HP gets a complaint on their business line, up to 30 days, they FedEx a new computer with a return tag. Many of these have no real problem, some user issue. They might have a scratch or two. HP internally fixes any problem, does a complete software reload, and sells them through their Business Out web store. The buyer saves between about 10% and 50% (depending on whether the machine is current generation and how long they have been trying to move it). This has proven to be an excellent way to get my clients a high quality machine that will last and do the job. I make a small amount for the time, it is registered in their name, and I usually make more in setting it up for their internal use. My largest client - one owner wants a new notebook compatible with Windows 11 for the other owner to replace their home notebook. (Both kept the older computer and use it at home, so they don't have to carry one in and out of the office every day). I had gotten her a 17" Zbook, which she absolutely loves. She wants a new 17" Zbook. Only one they make is the Zbook Fury. Store had 2 yesterday at opening (I get an email every day). She tried to order one, was gone. The other was gone also. So, I'm checking to see if another shows up. I thought I'd also check on a brand-new Fury. Got on website where one can configure and order new business computers. Price obviously higher, but that might be OK. If it was ordered TODAY, it would arrive 25 NOVEMBER, 2021. Usually a custom order arrives in several weeks. Gonna be a while before the semiconductor shortage gets better. I'm satisfied with used at a decent price, will be ordering one in next few days (desktop workstation, not notebook - I'm still happy with my considerably older HP Zbook 17 generation 2. Best machine I've ever had (except if I have to carry it a long distance).
  6. Or at the very least, put a simple to read explanation that, due to ransomware, other malware, etc. it is necessary to improve overall security. Then - since the security improvements are dependent on technology that wasn't available in motherboards until about 2018, we felt that it was required to make these improvements. But, they never have been able to get their users into the same track that Apple gets the IOS device users so that their perception is that they MUST have the newest gadget at least every 2 or 3 years, just to keep with their friends. None of my 9 PCs will meet the requirements. Even the one I got recently for my daughter is a bit older. That is really my own choice - since I can fix them up, I purchase only workstation grade that can run 24/7, have high performance, and that I can squeeze at least 7 to 10 years out of. To do this, I buy on the used market, and pickup one of the vast multitude of at least 3 or 4 year old machines that have been returned by large companies on leases, then sold by the leasing companies to remarketers. Spend the least for the most. Since W10 will be supported until mid-2025 (reasonable IMO), I plan to add a single Z2 G4 used workstation so I can keep up with the changes and be familiar when some of my clients have transitioned. I predict a free-fall in used value on the older computers (and likely a higher value for the Generation 8+ used machines) about fall, when the knowledge of the requirements is widespread. + I only got rid of some 2001 era HP workstations (HP-4100 tower) rather recently, they would only go up to Windows 7. Reformatted them with Mint Cinnamon Linux and gave them away. People who didn't have money for something better picked them up without much delay (also had some old monitors, keyboards, mice for a complete system).
  7. My Kurzweils in the shop/studio are hooked up to a small APC UPS. The PC3 seems to run fine from a typical computer UPS. When I was gigging with the church in other locations, I carried a small APC, because even the 30-40 second restart time was not usable. Kronos takes even longer. At church, since some rewiring got done (which was because the stage outlets lost ground somewhere and whatever caused it caused about 160 volts instead of 120 fried the APC UPS I was running with, power has been dependable enough the past several years that I've never lost power. The acoustic piano, drums, and guitar (which is amped through the PA) would still keep going long enough if I had to reboot my stuff.
  8. We have had cats for the past 20 years or so, once I was married again and could travel during the day (and sometimes for close to a week). Couldn't keep any pet before because if I can't look out for the pet - no pet. EVERY cat has a different personality, like humans. Generally, but not always, once they become adult, they calm down a lot. I rescued a tiny kitten last September, she was badly malnourished and parched, probably would have died soon. She was well litter trained already and not afraid of me. My bedroom chair (which I'm in now) was real leather, not much of a problem, but the recline mechanism broke, and I put my wife's older chair in there, which had vinyl covering. A few months later, after using a lot of duct tape on the chair, it was disposed of, and the original put back in with the recline mechanism locked out. The business made some $ last year, and I bought a real top quality leather chair. It is still partly disassembled and sitting in the spare room at this point. She hasn't scratched the other chair in a few months, and I'll swap them out in August, when she is about a year old. They are worth the effort. OTOH, I don't want dogs period. Don't have a patch panel or anything like that. but providing scratching posts and floor scratchers, and when she was small a "mousie" suspended from a door with elastic gave her a lot of exercise. She outgrew that also.
  9. The early motherboard UEFI was pretty much unexplored territory, and my understanding is that some implementations had issues. As with many new things, there wasn't much real help available at the first. Al, I continued to use WIndows 7 for a while on some computers, especially the 2001-5 vintage where the Pentium processor wouldn't qualify for Windows 8. Windows 8.0 was really problematic in the new interface, 8.1 improved it some, and the $5 or so Start8 menu system made it much more usable. Since most of my computers are live on Internet (although behind a hardware firewall), eventually the risk/reward ratio became tilted enough to remove the risk. I've been generally well satisfied with my Macs, although the High Sierra OS on the 2011 Macbook Pro (died and replaced with a 2012 Mini) developed a problem after one of the updates that TimeMachine didn't work - just kept grinding away until all the space was used and failed. Never found a solution to get TM going on that computer. High Sierra on my older 2011 Mini doesn't have the problem, it was probably something corrupted on the specific computer. At any rate, solved the backup issue with SuperDuper, although not quite as full-featured. I have one PC and two VMs under Parallels running Linux Mint Cinnamon. Don't use it much for general stuff, but my business services some NAS boxes, and a native machine to format drives which can read them and write them is useful.
  10. My left eye has been blind since I was 5 (an accident). SO, I'm kind of finicky about the only one left. My regular eye doctor diagnosed me with both cataract and glaucoma about 10 years ago. As it progressed, my vision deteriorated (didn't realize just HOW bad until after the operation, I couldn't read the license plate on a car parked just in front of me at a traffic signal). Went through the routine of one kid of expensive eye drops, then a couple of expensive eye drops. My father had glaucoma. By the time he passed, he had spent about 8 years with a field of vision of about 15 degrees. Literally a pin hole. In 2018, my doctor got me a referral with the best specialist in cataract/glaucoma in the local area. She tried to get me to operate (both operations at the same time, they literally make a "pocket" under the upper eyelid so the fluid pressure can drain). Still didn't move me, still afraid. Finally, she explained in detail that the risk of blindness from the operation statistically was about 1%. OTOH, the risk that the glaucoma would leave me completely blind was well over 25%. OK, that convinced me. I did research. Medicare pays for the "standard" lens, not the multifocal (which requires laser surgery) and the cost is way up there. She also told me that the lens would not be perfectly calibrated, they come in standard diopters (strength). Even if I went with the super customized individual fitted lens, there were five different methods to calibrate just how much was needed, and none of the algorithms were perfect. Also, with both procedures, it would be several months before things settled down enough for the initial fitting of glasses. Results: My vision even before the glaucoma was 20/400. Coke bottle glasses back in the day before modern lenses. My vision a week after the operation was 20/70, and I could see a LOT better than before even with just an optical zero lens over the eye. After first fitting, 20/30, second fitting by my regular doctor, now 20/20. I use two pair of glasses regularly. The first is multi-focal, the second is single focus, set for best result at about 24 to 30 inches (for computer screen). Since the lens doesn't change focal length like the natural one, I always have a magnifier with me (program on the cell phone), and have magnifiers around the home, shop, and vehicles for work. But, it is GREAT. I didn't realize just how good until I was at the grocery store one day, and could read the itty-bitty printing on the price label, describing what item the price was for. Go for it.
  11. In Microsoft's defense, Windows 10 was introduced in 2015, and they promise support until the EOL in mid-2025, a 10 year period. NONE of my 10 PCs are new enough for TPM 2.0 (1 of those is Linux, 2 of them are WIn 8.1, the rest are Win 10). I also have three Macs, only one supports Big Sur (and won't support this years release), one supports Catalina, one supports High Sierra. I THINK that the processor requirement is tied to the TPM requirement. As a long time IT person, I DO understand the requirement for TPM (stands for Trusted Platform Module) 2.0. A number of significant security holes have been found in the older 1.2 version. While some holes can be patched with a firmware update, many are baked into the hardware on the motherboard, so that update to 2.0 is impossible. Motherboards that support TPM 2.0 only became available in mid 2017, and the processor requirements are likely tied to the mid-2017 and later motherboard issue. Many of those later machines shipped still configured for TPM1.2, but they CAN be changed in the BIOS. While many end users won't understand how to do that, a great deal of video documentation will likely become available. OEM Windows 10 licensing has required that manufacturers ship the computers already configured with GPT drive formatting and with both UEFI and Secure Boot enabled. Secure Boot can be changed on most motherboards, and may well have been turned off so the user could setup a dual boot with some other operating system. UEFI BIOS not quite so easy. Many of the earlier, but still TPM 2 compatible machines were setup with the "Legacy" MBR format, and many used machines were user formatted with MBR. The two are totally incompatible, meaning that a total reinstall is required to convert. GPT was introduced on Windows primarily as a means of handling very large drives. (Macs that I'm familiar with do use GPT formatting although the actual formatting changed during the lifetime of High Sierra). I have that many computers because each serves a somewhat different function. Five are in my shop, 2 Mac, 2 Windows 10, and 1 Mint Linux. The two Windows 8.1 computers are used with HDTV tuners to record off-air programming, much like having a Tivo without the monthly bills. Then I can time-shift the programs without streaming from the Internet, since my provider limits me to 250GB per month (unless I want to increase the already high billing). A couple are really spare, since my work REQUIRES having a working Windows computer at all times to avoid loss of billing (and clients). SO, I will probably purchase a single used machine which is capable of running Windows 11, with a quad i5, 8 or 16G RAM, and SSD. That will be used to become very familiar with the use and capability of the change, so that I'm prepared as my clients and potential clients shift. (some of my current machines are as old as a decade or bit more).
  12. My SK1-73 definitely sounds better than the KB3 in my PC3s. I had a Nord Electro 3, which I also liked more than the KB3, but after use for a while, all the organ sounds didn't differentiate well when one changed the "drawbars" that Nord used. I worked on MANY real B3 and C3 during my years of electronic musical instrument service, and knew what it should sound like. I personally prefer the SK1, even though the added non-organ sounds aren't nearly as varied as the PC3 to the Nord. (Later versions may well be improved). Currently, most of the time, I use an iPad connected to the PC3 (or a lightweight MIDI controller) running either Galileo or Korg Module for my Hammond/Leslie sounds.
  13. I purchased Module prior to the time that they had the free version, so can't help with that. I own most of the expansion packs, use it extensively, didn't get the American Grand because I already had the Ivory one, and didn't buy the most recent several packs because they are for genres I don't use. The only difference at all that I've found in purchasing and making new expansion packs work is that one has to keep Module itself up to date. New versions typically show the recent packs and allow purchase, which were not in the previous version. BTW, I'm running Module Pro on iPad Mini 2, iPad 3, iPad 5, iPhone 8+, and iPhone 6, and they all work for my needs, so it doesn't take a huge amount of processing power (however, I don't run other apps at the same time or use Gadget with Module as a sound pack). Based on the "unlockable" comment, I would expect that the free version can be upgraded to Module Pro, and that likely unlocks the missing functionality. I agree that it would have been better to grey out portions that won't work; that may be an issue with Korg, but also could be with Apple's App Store, IMO. I have 40 or 50 other IOS music apps, and use Module 95% of the time, even occasionally with no other sounds, but most frequently with my Kurzweil PC3 driving it, set on a Setup for MIDI channel 2 (the internal sounds are on channel 1). Even the expression pedal works, and one of the switch pedals controls Leslie speed.
  14. OnSong works great for me, and I'm using an old iPad 3 to run it, so it doesn't require a lot of processing power. I've started keeping all sheets on it that we use in the worship band, and it is getting to the point that most are already in it. Have separate categories for chord sheet, lead sheet, Nashville, and Hymns, which I scan to PDF and put it it. It works best with Dropbox, but works well using iCloud. The old iPad 3 is using an older version, but that can be downloaded from the App Store. Have it on my phone also for any time I'm in a service when I'm not playing.
  15. Thanks. Just relayed the G7/C one to my wife (we both took music theory), and she got a kick out of it. She really got a kick out of the one about DRUM being an acronym. My son in law is a drummer. However, he is also a trumpet player, and has an excellent command of theory.
  16. Korg Module has some add-on voice packs featuring EDM type sounds. I don't personally use them, but have found Module to be quite useful in supplementing my PC3 (and even by itself on travel gigs for the church). Have it on iPad, even on the old iPhone 6 (most original apps removed for more room), with an IK KeysPro37 controller.
  17. Haven't in a long time, but: Decades ago, I bought a gently used RCA DX-77 Ribbon Mic at a reasonable cost. I did eventually sell it. But the thing I liked the most was the effect (in a studio or other wind-free place) that it had on my voice even just speaking. First one I used was at an AM radio station where I was the C.E and also some evening DJ work, plus local news director. Loved that enhancement of my natural voice that I just don't get with any of my modern dynamic or condenser mikes. "Broadcast quality" if one wanted that old-time radio pro announcer voice. I actually got fairly good at replacing a stretched ribbon on the radio station's multiple DX-77s, or tickling one that wasn't quite stretched that bad back into working. Would probably be great now for my Bible Study messages on YouTube. My condenser mic. through a Focusrite 18i8 into one of the Macs sounds pretty good also. Since I sometimes record the physical class, I'm using a Zoom H1n now, so much more portable.
  18. The purpose of the therapy for prostate cancer is to almost totally eliminate testosterone, since that feeds any surviving cells. Firmagon very rapidly accomplishes this. The initial dose is TWO injections subcutaneous generally just a little above the waist. Usually after several monthly shots, it is replaced with Lupron, which is slower but has the same effect. More importantly, it can be given in injections (in the buttocks) which can be for as much as 6 months. Side Effects Link And yes, it does have that effect. Previous to this method, injections of female hormones were used for the purpose. The medication is generally given for 12 to 24 months, starts about two months prior to radiation therapy, and effects last for about as long after cessation as the period of administrations. I can assure you that one becomes almost an asexual being during this time. Firmagon is a brand name and the link gives the generic drug. The first time I got it, they didn't make me sit quietly for 15 minutes, and I passed out. Modest size breasts are grown (I suppose in overweight men they may not be so modest). They don't entirely go away. I also experienced "heat flashes" like after menopause women. They usually didn't last long, but might happen at any time. Sitting on the couch with a sweater and coat on, then so hot one wants to remove all the layers, then back. If I had been considerably younger, they might have chosen surgical removal of the prostate. For less severe advancement, medical procedure could range from doing nothing (figuring that something else would kill the patient before the cancer, if it was slow, just monitoring PSA and Test. levels (which I will be doing twice a year for rest of my life), to the above, known as Androgen Deprivation Theory by itself, to the Full Monte. On the scale of measurement used, I was 8 out of 9 for aggressiveness. BUT, my father died of prostate cancer in the 1980's. They didn't find it in time. His last couple of weeks were at home, with frequent morphine injections, and still lots of pain. In the US, about 1 of 8 men will get prostate cancer during their lifetime. The likelihood increases with age. A full half of men between 70 and 80 have it, although in some cases, it is slowly growing. I do not cease to be very thankful for making it through to the other side. At 79, although it might spread, I am much more likely to die of other things. Wrapping it up: IF you are male and over 45, GET YOUR PSA TEST and repeat as needed. The earlier it is caught, the less drastic the potential cure.
  19. During my prostate cancer treatment, when they gave the first (and largest) dose of Firmagon, they did not have me sit for 15 minutes after the two shots. I got up and walked to the checkout area shortly after the shots. About the time I got there, I felt like my head was spinning like a helicopter rotor. I knew I was going down, so I positioned myself as well as possible to not get hurt when I hit the floor. When they checked me, the heart rate was about 45, don't remember the pressure, but it was low. They called ambulance to take me to hospital Emergency Dept. By time ambulance got me inside, blood pressure was normal again. Never passed out before. I bought an Omron BP785N (available locally) the next day, and have checked BP daily. I have checked it when I had an appointment with my GP and they did the measurements. They have always been within 10% or so. Doesn't mean a whole lot, since I drove to the office (about 22 miles) between the measurements. Having said that, the Omron does show an error frequently as it starts pumping (at about 5mg). Usually means a leakage in the connection to the cuff. One note: it takes 4 AA batteries, they need to be good even if one keeps it plugged into the AC power supply. Recently (couple of years later), it stopped syncing to my iPhone, reports a BT error, and have not found a way to fix that. Still works locally, so I can still see the readings and manually record them. Heart wise, I do have bigeminy. Intermittent, have had for long time. They could fix the problem with a heart cath, but I take the less intrusive route of taking Carvedilol and Flecainide twice a day. Have an Apple Watch 4, and also do daily ECG (two lead). If I had known about the Welsh-Allen 1700 then, I would probably have paid the extra amount. My wife is a retired RN, one daughter is a current MSN.
  20. Thanks for the heads-up. Got the IOS apps yesterday, the only Mac I have that is Big Sur is an i5 4GB RAM Macbook Air, but I got it anyhow. It does produce a sound, and it may not be free indefinitely.
  21. The mask requirement in NC was lifted May 14, for fully vaccinated people (and the order states that vaccination can't be checked). There are certain areas that still have the requirement, including schools, day care, medical, and prisons. Indoor capacity was restored to 100%, no crowd restrictions; but masks are strongly encouraged in settings where large quantities of people are close together. Requirements for "social distancing" were removed. Even before this time, there were exceptions for those who couldn't wear a mask for various reasons. Having said that, local jurisdictions can still have more restrictive rules, and private businesses can set their own rules. Some stores and restaurants still require, some not. All restrictions on religious institutions were lifted months ago, when there were lawsuits prepared on Constitutional grounds. My gig is at church, and we are spread apart on the stage area far enough to have a good distance. I am sitting on the back at least 10 feet from anyone else. I have not been wearing one during the musical part of the service for some time. I carry a KN95 in my pocket, and put it on when it makes sense. I was fully vaccinated before the end of February, my wife before end of March. I don't sit right next to others in the congregation. We recently found that my wife also has COPD, but NO heart problems (verified by a cath procedure Thursday). I rather suspect that her incident where she was having difficulty breathing, and her heart rate went up on 4 Feb while we were shopping at Walmart may have been a COPD incident, aggravated by the mask. She was using a cloth mask with 1 or 2 layers of coffee filter behind it. I found such things too restricting a good while back, and switched totally to the paper mask, then to the KN95 as soon as they became readily available. There is one in each vehicle, in case of forgetfulness. I forgot one morning until I got 36 miles away and was ready to enter my client site. Fortunately, there was one in the glove compartment. I do not wear one for "virtue signaling" instead wearing when it makes sense. Didn't wear the whole time if I was 20 or more feet from anyone. Also I don't consider not wearing as a mark of rebellion, just doing it when it makes some sense. I have NOT been tested at any time, there were known stories here (by people I believe) of some people missing their appointment for testing a while back, and finding they had been marked as positive.
  22. I went from a 6 to a 10+ shortly after the 11 came out. Do have a protector, seems to work fine. Keep in a leather belt case. Don't have to take it out as much now, I can answer phone calls and do a lot of other things with the Apple Watch 4. Seems to be just as rugged. The 6 has the SIM card removed, most apps removed, and is now in use as a musical sound generator with Korg Module.
  23. About how much does it weigh? If light enough, would be cool to control some modern synths that still have CV input.
  24. Does your car have Bluetooth, even if not Car Play. If so, it probably can be setup to make calls or answer calls, and mute the other audio at the same time. My 2012 Volt has that. even has buttons on steering wheel to initiate and end calls. If not, the recent Garmin GPS that I bought to replace the 10 year old one that died has Bluetooth, answers to "OK Garmin" or can set a phrase, and can be used for hand-free calls in the vehicle.
  25. My 2011 MBP died a few months ago (the usual video problem - not bootable, and it did corrupt the 1TB SSD). I looked at other older ones (so I could max RAM and change to a big SSD). Wound up buying a 2012 Mac Mini with the fastest (at the time) quad i7, 16GB RAM, a new 1TB SSD, and the existing 1TB "Fusion" drive. When I looked at how I used it, I really didn't need the portability. I have a very high power 17" HP Zbook G2, quad i7, 32GB RAM, 256GB M2 SSD, 1TB SATA SSD, and the shipped 1TB HD as a third drive for internal image backup for carrying around. With my eyesight, I need the bigger screen. I almost always used the MBP with an external 32" monitor anyhow, and I've been very pleased. I did consider the later Intel Mini (2018, IIRC) that takes up to 64GB RAM, but the price on the other was a lot lower. Also considered the new M1 Mini, but I use Parallels for hosting various VMs in my business, and at the time it didn't yet run on the M1 (very recently it now does). Then the church gave me back the original 2011 Mini (similar specs), they bought a newer one, so now I have the newer one in the shop, the older in the home.. and a 2015 Macbook AIR 4GB RAM on the workbench feeding a second monitor (screen is broken, but my cost on it was $0) for quick web looking while servicing stuff. Can also access any powered on machine I have, Windows, Mac, or Linux remotely using a cool little program called NoMachine that does most of what TeamViewer does, but is totally free for use.
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